In the wake of the joint declaration in Geneva between President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, some foreign journalists have jumped to the conclusion that such an agreement amounts to the creation of some sort of alliance against the Bosnian Muslims. Nothing could be further from the truth. Continue reading “The Joint Declaration (February 10, 1994 ~ The New York Times)”
Category: Politics
The True Culprits in the Balkans (28 September 1993 ~ Evening Standard)
The race for victim status in Bosnia-Herzegovina appears to be over. The Serbs, as the main aggressors and initial perpetrators of “ethnic cleansing” hardly qualify. The international press has obviously decided that the Croats do not qualify either, despite the fact that the Bosnian Croats have lost considerable territory to the Moslems since the break-up of their alliance. Continue reading “The True Culprits in the Balkans (28 September 1993 ~ Evening Standard)”
The Missing Links in Yugoslavia’s Tragedy (August 16, 1994 ~ The Washington Times)
The causes of the never-ending war in the Balkans could plausibly be attributed to [the] excessive legalism of international organizations, including the United Nations. Despite noble efforts to end the three-year-old conflict in the Balkans, the U.N., as well as other international actors, is still unable to speak with one voice. Continue reading “The Missing Links in Yugoslavia’s Tragedy (August 16, 1994 ~ The Washington Times)”
Yugoslavia: The End of Communism, The Return of Nationalism (20 April 1991 ~ America National Catholic weekly)
The end of communism in Yugoslavia has brought the return of nationalism and a host of new problems steeped in ethnic roots, said Tomislav Sunic, a Croatian who now teaches in Juniata College.
As a result, he believes, “representative democracy…as attractive and functional a model as it may be in the relatively homogeneous societies of the West, has, in the fractured Yugoslavian state, little chance of success. Continue reading “Yugoslavia: The End of Communism, The Return of Nationalism (20 April 1991 ~ America National Catholic weekly)”
Croatia’s Role in Bosnia-Herzegovina (July 27, 1992 ~ The Christian Science Monitor)
Your editorial, “Croatia’s Sellout,” July 10, seemed t o have been prompted more by your desire for evenhandedness than by the desire to objectively analyze the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Unlike Serbia, Croatia recognized the sovereignty, independence, and inviolability of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In contrast to Serbian Army offensive actions in Bosnia, Croat troops are conducting defensive actions. The Bosnian government has repeatedly asked for international help. Continue reading “Croatia’s Role in Bosnia-Herzegovina (July 27, 1992 ~ The Christian Science Monitor)”
Yugo into History ( July 17th, 1991 ~ The Pittsburgh Post – Gazette)
In his interesting piece, “Misreading Yugoslavia” (July 8), Dejan Kovacevic, emphasizes the ethnic roots of the Yugoslav crisis but seems oblivious to huge ideological differences between the Yugoslav republics.
Communist-dominated Serbia and Montenegro are the two republics that are least interested in large-scale market reforms for fear of losing control over the federal bureaucracy and army. Continue reading “Yugo into History ( July 17th, 1991 ~ The Pittsburgh Post – Gazette)”
The Yugoslav Mythology: A Multicultural Pathology (August 1993 ~ Chronicles)
One must agree with Georges Sorel that political myths have a long and durable life. For 74 years the Yugoslav state drew its legitimacy from the spirit of Versailles and Yalta, as well as from the Serb-inspired pan-Slavic mythology. By carefully manipulating the history of their constituent peoples while glorifying their own, Yugoslav leaders managed to convince the world that Yugoslavia was a “model multiethnic state.” Many global-minded pundits in the West followed suit and made a nice career preaching the virtues of the Yugoslav multi-ethnic pot. By tirelessly vaunting the Yugoslav model, scores of starry-eyed Western academics gave, both pedagogically and psychologically, additional legitimacy to artificial Yugoslavia. Continue reading “The Yugoslav Mythology: A Multicultural Pathology (August 1993 ~ Chronicles)”
Naive Policy ( 22 October 1984 ~ The Sacramento Bee)
Your recent article “Soviets gain the upper hand in Yugoslav politics?” (Sept. 28) suggests naively that the crackdown on dissidents in Belgrade is due to the invisible hand of the Soviet Union, although no proofs of Soviet involvement were given by the article.
American media portray Yugoslavia as “a liberal Communist country.” Although Amnesty International, based in London, has clearly established that in recent years the human rights violation in Yugoslavia is the worst in East Europe. Continue reading “Naive Policy ( 22 October 1984 ~ The Sacramento Bee)”
Yugoslavia’s Gulag (The Sacramento Bee)
I read with interest your article on the arrested Yugoslav citizens (“28 Yugoslav Citizens Arrested,” The Bee, April 22). I would like to point out that these are not isolated cases of the police crackdown on dissidents.
Far worse are the constant persecutions against Croats and ethnic Albanians at home and abroad (including the U.S.A.). During the last 20 years, more than 50 Yugoslav citizens, mostly Croats, were killed or abducted by the Yugoslav secret police, in the West and the U.S. (Libyan-style diplomacy). Continue reading “Yugoslavia’s Gulag (The Sacramento Bee)”
Menaces d’éclatement en Yougoslavie (le 2 Aout 1991 ~ Le Monde Diplomatique)
M. Tomislav Sunic, professeur de science politique au Juniata College, Pennsylvanie (Etats-Unis), nous écrit a propos de notre dossier « L’éclatement de la Fédération yougoslave est-il inéluctable ? », paru dans notre numéro de mai :
Face à une situation géopolitique fort imprévisible, il n’est pas étonnant que les gouvernements occidentaux préfèrent miser sur une Yougoslavie unifiée et intacte, bien que cela ait abouti – histoire à l’épreuve – à davantage de haine entre ses divers groupes ethniques. Continue reading “Menaces d’éclatement en Yougoslavie (le 2 Aout 1991 ~ Le Monde Diplomatique)”